“A new political status [for American Samoa] would have to protect Samoan lands, culture and its natural resources,” declared Tapaau Dr. Daniel Mageo Aga at yesterday’s US Department of Interior’s self-determination forum in Washington D.C. where he represented American Samoa on the panel discussion.

The three-hour forum, live-streamed from the nation’s capital and facilitated by Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina, looks at self-determination options for American Samoa, US Virgin Islands and Guam. It was also the chance for the three territories to give their presentations on self-determination.

Tapaau, director of Community & Natural Resources of the American Samoa Community College, gave a presentation that lasted for almost 30-minutes and covered the history of the territory and wide range of issues, including federal policies impacting local economic development.

He explained that the Future Political Status Study Commission report released in 2007, recommended maintaining the current political status quo “but to seek an article of Congress that would strengthen protection of our land and culture.” (Tapaau was assistant executive director of the commission.)

“It’s a balancing act for us. Yes we have great things, but when your island is only 54 square miles, you have a lot to loose if we make the wrong decision,” he said, adding that it’s Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga’s vision “to give the next generation the tools that they need to make their own decision and control their own destination. But stay strong with the United States.”

Co-facilitator of the forum, DOI’s Office of Insular Affairs executive director Nikolao Pula asked what American Samoa wants to say to the US?

While he was not at the forum to give an official ASG position, Tapaau said he could provide for the gathering a “developmental framework for a future political model.” Additionally, “we would make progress towards achieving a full measure of self government, while keeping a strong relationship with the United States.”

And whatever decision is reached for a political status, he said it must be “constitutionally viable” and must be of “mutual consent.” He then pointed out that a new political status would have to protect Samoan lands, culture and its natural resources.

Such a political status decision, “needs to be based on exhaustive research using reliable valid evidence-based arguments, based on international, federal and local laws,” he said. “Our political development has to have the backing of federal laws that strengthen and not weaken economic development.”

“And finally, the decision will be ultimately based on the will of the people after sufficient time has been given for a systematically developed and delivered public education program,” he said.

At the start of the forum, Kia’aina said that since the last self-determination conference for the U.S. territories was held in 1993 in Washington, D.C., she believes “that it was important for all of us — the federal government, and experts from the territories affected — to provide an updated context for federal policy-makers and a new generation to learn about the status of self-determination in the respective territories as well as to understand what their rights are to self-determination under federal and international law.”

She said the forum seeks to re-engage such a dialogue, at the federal level and to encourage that such a dialogue continues at the territorial level. She encouraged all those who are “interested in self determination, to continue to advance such a discussion in your respective territories — your legislators, homes, schools, universities, villages, and communities.”

On DOI’s side, “we hope to learn a lot and get a status report at each of the three territories,” she said and announced that DOI’s Office of Insular Affairs is considering technical assistant grant applications from the three territories that “seek to re-engage and promote educational awareness of self determination in your jurisdictions at the community level.”

She also noted that the three US territories are still listed on the United Nations list of non-self governing territories of the world.

After her opening remarks, followed presentations by Maria Lurie, attorney-advisor with DOI’s Office of the Solicitor, that covered options for self determination and also commended Tapaau for his presentation; and Meredith Johnston, with the US State Department’s Office of Legal Adviser for Human Rights.

See future edition for other issues raised in the forum.